Have you ever smelled a doe in heat?
12-13-2004, 07:27 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: memphis TN
Posts: 447
Have you ever smelled a doe in heat?
Hunted this weekend. Couldn't believe it, but didn't see any deer while on stand. Sitting on the tailgate afterwards having a snack, and there goes a buck. He was nose to the ground and only 30 yards away. We had the music blaring and we were talking full volume, but he didn't care. I grabbed the bow and my bro-in-law got him stopped with a mouth bleat. He got going again and I couldn't get close enough for a shot.
A few minutes later another one goes through the same small patch of woods with nose to ground. I stalk down a trail to where I had seen him, but he had moved on.
Back to my subject. While making my stalk I came through a couple of patches that smelled strongly of typical doe-in-heat scent. I had never smelled it before except in a bottle. If I can smell it, no wonder those bucks were going nuts. Have any of you ever smelled it in the wild?
A few minutes later another one goes through the same small patch of woods with nose to ground. I stalk down a trail to where I had seen him, but he had moved on.
Back to my subject. While making my stalk I came through a couple of patches that smelled strongly of typical doe-in-heat scent. I had never smelled it before except in a bottle. If I can smell it, no wonder those bucks were going nuts. Have any of you ever smelled it in the wild?
12-13-2004, 10:35 AM
#2
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Oct 1998
Location: Hughesville, PA USA
Posts: 18,322
RE: Have you ever smelled a doe in heat?
Deer when in rut stink to high heaven and there is no doubt that I've smelled deer that have used an area shortly before I was there but I can not tell you if it was a doe in heat, doe not in heat, or a buck but there was no doubt, there recently had been deer there.
12-13-2004, 05:09 PM
#8
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Pittsburgh PA
Posts: 947
RE: Have you ever smelled a doe in heat?
Bucks definately smell rank, but the doe in heat have a sweeter smell to them. We smell tarsals glands year round at the butchers. I can drive past the local apple orchard and smell the deer outside the car.
12-14-2004, 06:27 AM
#10
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 7,208
RE: Have you ever smelled a doe in heat?
I've certainly smelled deer on many occasions, I'm not that good to tell if it was doe or buck unless I see it. I've smelled bucks before finding them, I've gone thru thickets on drives and smelled deer. And many times I have came into highly used areas with tons of scrapes and they certianly smell. This past season was the best. I hit a logging road that for about a 20-25 yd stretch smelled like someone smashed a couple doe in heat bottles in the aisle at the sporting goods store. Scrape after scrape that just stunk.
